SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – In an important step to improve resident safety, members of the Springfield City Council have taken action to convert two busy streets into one-way streets. We visited the area to get more information about these changes and what they mean for residents.
By a unanimous vote of 11-0, Patton Street in the North End and Trenton Street in Forest Park will soon become one-way streets.
Both streets are a concern for many residents as they are often used as shortcuts, making them quite dangerous for children and pedestrians.
Councilor Victor Davila, who represents the Forest Park area, believes this change is essential, especially on Trenton Street, where this narrow street has seen numerous accidents and damaged many neighbors’ parked cars.
“The resident sent a letter to the city council expressing his concerns and they themselves took the necessary steps to go to the traffic commissioner and they started a petition,” Davila said.
He expects these roads to become even worse in the future construction on the nearby xiThe intersection starts saying that it is now up to drivers to adhere to these new rules, which will be strictly enforced.
“We can do a lot of things, but if people don’t cooperate, it becomes a problem when enforcement steps in,” Davila told us. “And so I expect that if that happens, the police will follow up and charge you fairly.”
Patton Street will now be a one-way street southbound, while Trenton Street will flow westbound between Commonwealth Avenue and Dickinson Street, something Davida said would not have been possible without residents coming together to address this major issue.
“When residents come together, unite and speak, wonderful things can happen,” Davila emphasized.
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